Running north-south through the heart of North America from Manitoba and Saskatchewan into Texas, the midwestern prairie appears as a sea of grass stretching to the horizon. Due to differing amounts of rainfall, this prairie is actually three kinds of habitat: dry shortgrass prairie found in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, wetter tallgrass prairie found along the grassland’s eastern edge, and the transitional mixed-grass (also called midgrass) prairie found between the two.
Due to ongoing threats such as habitat loss and invasive plant species, these prairie ecosystems are no longer the vast, unbroken biomes they once were. As a result, grassland bird populations have decreased in the past 50+ years, including the Chestnut-collared Longspur (84 percent decline) and the Thick-billed Longspur (82 percent decline).
Researchers are trying to understand the intricate web of prairie life so that steps can be taken to protect prairie birds. They found that farms with strategically planted prairie strips offered quality bird habitat and increased bird diversity, and that virtually fencing cattle could protect habitat by mimicking the shifting grazing patterns of native bison. Other researchers are studying the relationship between prairie dogs, a keystone species, and bird diversity because protecting prairie dog towns also promotes grassland bird conservation.